Can perfume evaporate?

I was going through my fragrances yesterday & saw that my bottle of Insolence seemed like it was a third used. I know for sure that I have only used it a few times & can't have used that much. I have had the bottle for about 4 years however, kept in a dark location.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

can perfume evaporate? the stuff is made to evaporate!

but it shouldn't evaporate from a closed bottle. however, anyone who has old stoppered bottles will know this happens nonetheless. i've never noticed it with any spray bottles, and i don't think with screw tops either.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Perfumes can evaporate if the bottle is not well-sealed. I know some bottles as an example from Guerlain the L'art et la matiere line comes with the puff sprayer. Those actually help the evaporation process.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Originally Posted by Oupavoc

Perfumes can evaporate if the bottle is not well-sealed. I know some bottles as an example from Guerlain the L'art et la matiere line comes with the puff sprayer. Those then to help the evaporation process.

yes I found that out the hard way with my Philtre D'Amour and Vetiver Pour Elle bottles.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

I was searching the forum and found this old thread reporting a problem similar to mine: the suspect of spray bottles evaporation... Yesterday I was cleaning my closet and decided to extend it to my collection. While cleaning it I had the same feeling of the owner of this thread. Some bottles seemed to be more used than I remembered... My vintage Azzaro, for instance, seemed 2 fingers' s height lower. My Lacoste pour homme and my very irrestible also seemed 1 finger's height lower than I had in my mind. Some others also seemed to be evaporating. Mainly the ones I haven't worn for months.The newer bottles, with still small use, seemed fine.
What could possibly be happening? Is my mind playing tricks on me? My wife thinks so.
I live in Brazil and It's hot almost all over the year. It's also a coastal town, so there's a lot of humidity. But the bottles are in my closet, in the dark. There's also no direct sun light exposure. The only thing I can imagine as a possible cause is that I turn the ar-conditioning on every night and I've noticed when I wake up and open the closet to choose which clothes to put on, that the bottles are just like as if they had spent the night on the refrigerator, with that vapor-condensated-water layer.Any thoughts?

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

I recently found out that a lot of my unused Frederic Malle spray samples are 1/3 the amount they used to be. I've seen this issue in my other spray samples as well. Fortunately, I haven't noticed it in my full bottles, decants, and vial samples. I think if it's sealed well, evaporation isn't an issue.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Originally Posted by CaliDude

I recently found out that a lot of my unused Frederic Malle spray samples are 1/3 the amount they used to be. I've seen this issue in my other spray samples as well. Fortunately, I haven't noticed it in my full bottles, decants, and vial samples. I think if it's sealed well, evaporation isn't an issue.

Originally Posted by ebear

I haven't seen that happen to a bottle, but pocket atomizers are just awful in that regard - especially Travalos, which is a shame since they're quite nice looking.

Yeah, since It's factory-sealed I don't see how It could have been evaporating... Anyway, I just put a small stick to mark the actual juice volume on the suspect bottles. I won't wear these bottles and let's see what happens the following months...

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

I have one that has big time. It was one of those that you put the sprayer into. I have it so tight it ready to crack, yet each time I look more has gone down. Now put it in a plastic bag with a seal to see if that helps, not really by the way.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Ive had issue with 2 Insolence bottles (the round ones), its happening around the spray mechanism, where exactly Im not sure. I just keep them upright but haven't experienced evaporation. If I carry them in my handbag, my bag positively reeks by the end of the day, even though there are no wet spots.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Originally Posted by donna255

I have one that has big time. It was one of those that you put the sprayer into. I have it so tight it ready to crack, yet each time I look more has gone down. Now put it in a plastic bag with a seal to see if that helps, not really by the way.

Re: Can perfume evaporate?

Evaporation can happen even with well-sealed bottles, over time - many of my sealed vintage fragrances were 1/2 - 1 inch low at the time of purchase, even though they were not leaking. The same can happen with colognes, though spray and screw-cap bottles usually fare better. But it's the nature of alcohol to evaporate, and even microscopic openings allow it to happen. With evaporation, some of the topnotes can be compromised - especially where vintage fragrances are concerned, since the topnotes of older fragrances are inherently less stable than the heart and base. With newer juice (later than 2000), you probably won't notice much difference in the scent, even with some evaporation.